


Learning curve

by Bill_Longbow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Blow Jobs, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Established Relationship, Jealous Bucky Barnes, M/M, Multi, POV Bucky Barnes, Panic Attacks, Self Confidence Issues, Sex Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26625892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: Steve and Bucky are each other's everything: best friends, high school lovers, first everything.When their relationship falls into a rut they decide to each have one night with an escort, but it brings out all of Bucky's insecurities.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 69
Collections: Stuckony Summer Stocking 2020





	Learning curve

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Ruquas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruquas/pseuds/Ruquas) in the [stuckony_summer_stocking_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stuckony_summer_stocking_2020) collection. 



> Written for the short prompts of sex worker AU, and misunderstandings.
> 
> It could've been a real smutty fic, but instead Bucky turned it all angsty? Hope you enjoy nonetheless!
> 
> Big thank you to Skye who is the best cheerer alive and who's brain is capable of conjuring the most awesome plots!

“Are you sure, Barnes?” 

Bucky shoots the bartender a level glare, not yet outright murderous, but apparently straight enough for the bartender to shrug and top Bucky’s glass again.

He downs it in one go and suppresses the shudder as the liquid burns its way down his throat. He also ignores the urge to look at the clock above the bar again, instead staring at the wood of the bar through the bottom of his shot glass. 

This is by far the worst thing he has ever done, and that’s saying something. His stump starts itching at the mere memory of losing his arm, just another thing to ignore tonight. He shouldn’t have come here, should’ve chosen a more lively bar with enough entertainment to draw his mind from what’s happening at home. _His_ home. 

He stands up resolutely, and throws a wad of cash onto the bar. Maybe a bit of fresh air will do him some good. 

He’s still reasonably stable on his feet, and he manages to walk out of the bar without bumping into anyone. 

The air outside is crisp. Too cold to go without a jacket, but not cold enough for a scarf. A nice night to go out with your boyfriend and lover of eight years and counting. Instead Bucky is walking by himself, counting the street lamps until the urge to look at the time is too great and he caves.

9:16

Fortyfour minutes until his self imposed exile until ten o’clock. 

Would they be done yet? Bucky has no idea how long such a thing takes. Him and Stevie can go for hours, or only take a few minutes when the need is too high for anything fancy.

He left at seven, well ahead of the escort’s expected arrival at seven thirty. So he only was at the bar for an hour and a bit. No wonder the bartender was worried at his rate of drinking. It had felt much, much longer.

Bucky tries to hold onto the image of Steve when he left, bright eyed and all but bouncing on his feet in excitement. It hurts, but not as much as fantasizing about what happened after. _Don’t think of someone_ whole _touching Steve with_ two _hands, don’t think of Steve’s face in rapture with his dick in someone else’s mouth._

It’s impossible. The more he wants to think of something else, the more vivid the images become before his mind’s eye. He bumps into someone because he’s not looking where he’s going anymore, and mutters an apology before he hurries away.

9:22

Maybe Steve is changing the blankets now. Bucky hopes he changes the blankets; if they ever ended up in the bedroom that is. They should’ve booked a hotel room, to keep their apartment theirs. They talked about that, but they couldn’t afford a nice hotel, and didn’t want to share the bed with so many others in some seedy old place. He can’t believe he agreed to this. High school sweethearts: their first love, their first kiss, their first everything. Literally been to hell and back together, and came out stronger. Why do this now?

Because Steve thought it was a good idea, and Bucky can't ever say no to Steve. It had sounded sensible too. See how it feels with someone else. _You deserve to find out if you like other things, Buck._ They had gotten into a rut, sometimes going weeks without either of them in the mood for anything other than cuddles. They needed an impulse. 

Bucky would've gone for dressing up, or maybe even some spanking, but Steve came up with this. He can't deny it did bring a spark into their bedroom after they started hashing out details. He might've even liked the _idea_ of doing this -- it was exciting, like playing hookey -- until they flipped a coin and picked a date, and he left the house early so Steve could fuck a complete stranger. 

His feet have brought him to their street on autopilot, and he checks his watch again. 

9:31

Their apartment is a little too far away to see from the corner where he stands, and Bucky hesitates. 

9:32

Two hours. Surely, the escort must've left after two hours?

Further on the street a couple exits a house, laughing and waving at the ground floor window before walking the other way. 

Bucky can't risk it. The last thing he wants to do is run into the man who just--

He turns around and sets off at a brisk pace, wandering the block until it's time to go home. 

\-----

"Fucking hell, Stevie," Bucky moans. He wants to look at his boyfriend on his knees, sucking Bucky like his dick holds the answer to life, the universe and everything, but then Steve pulls him in even deeper and Bucky's brain flatlines. He’s vaguely aware of some noise when Steve swallows around his cock, until he realizes it’s himself keening as he all but sees stars.

This is undoubtedly the best way he has woken up in quite some time, but unfortunately a mean little part of his brain is still working, and wondering if Steve did this with the hooker as well. 

He looks down to see Steve looking up at him; pupils blown so wide there’s hardly any blue left, lips stretched taut around Bucky’s dick. The sight alone could be enough to make him come, but then Steve reaches to push against Bucky’s perineum and he’s flung over the edge, coming harder than he has in months.

Steve swallows it all, sucking Bucky dry until he's so sensitive every touch makes him shudder all over. 

Steve pulls off with a satisfied grin, wiping some stray come off his chin with the blanket. Still a slob, but Bucky doesn't have it in him to care. 

"That was… wow," he sighs. 

"Good huh," Steve grins, and scoots closer so he can hug Bucky close. 

Bucky runs his hand through Steve's hair, willing that little voice to cut it out, but it never does. 

"So… did the escort teach you that?" he finally asks, cringing at how needy he is. 

"Yup. Neat, right?" Steve doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the whole thing, and Bucky's not sure if he thinks that's a good thing or not. 

"Yeah, neat."

"Hey," Steve looks up, and props his head up on his hand so he can look at Bucky. 

" _You_ are my boyfriend, and there's no one out there that I'll ever love more than you. You got that?"

Bucky nods. He knows, he really does, but it's nice to hear Steve say it again. 

"Now I've had my breakfast shake," Steve grins, and Bucky huffs a laugh despite himself. "Do you want to go for coffee?"

  
  


\-----

"You don't have to do this," Steve says, pulling Bucky close to his chest, trying to rub the tension from Bucky's shoulders and back.

Bucky shakes his head, but keeps on leaning his weight against Steve.

He could crack a joke, make light of it and chase Steve out of the door, but Steve deserves better than that. They both do. 

"It's the arm," Bucky sighs against the skin of Steve's neck, soaking up his familiar scent. He waits with his eyes closed for Steve's reaction, who takes his time to mull it over. He's glad Steve doesn't go with his knee jerk reaction of jumping to Bucky's defence right away. 

“I don’t know who you’ve chosen to come,” Steve says carefully, threading his fingers through Bucky’s hair, “but we picked this agency carefully, and they should be a professional.”

Bucky scoffs -- he knows so-called professionals -- but Steve pulls back to look at him.

“If anything happens that makes you uncomfortable you send them away, or you call me, okay? I'm just down the hall.” 

Steve waits until Bucky nods, and then softly kisses him. Knowing Steve is taking this seriously helps, a little.

“But I’m pretty sure you’ll like it,” Steve adds with a smile. “Might pick up some tricks as well,” he winks. Of course the punk had asked the prostitute to teach him how to deepthroat, and some other things that already have made their sex a lot more interesting. It's the main part why Bucky is going through with this. That, and not wanting to disappoint Steve. 

Bucky nods, and darts in for another kiss. “Okay. You’re right.” He loves how Steve doesn’t even consider how the other person could be uncomfortable with Bucky’s handicap. “You should go, they could be here any minute…”

Steve’s smile turns softer, and he gives Bucky a fierce hug, before pulling back completely. “I’ll be back by nine thirty.” 

"Say hi to Sam for me…"

With a nod and a last smile over his shoulder, Steve’s out the door, leaving Bucky to nervously pace to and fro.

  
  
  


He’s just done brushing his teeth, again, when the doorbell rings. Bucky almost trips over the carpet in the living room, but manages to reach the door without braining himself on the furniture. One final swipe through his hair -- Steve told him to wear it down -- and he's ready.

The escort smiles when the door opens, until he sees who it is. The happy grin transforms into surprise and then confusion, before settling into something Bucky can only interpret as disgust as the escort lets his eyes travel all over Bucky. 

Suddenly he feels nauseous. Bucky backs away from the door and fumbles for his phone, almost dropping it on the floor in his haste to call Steve. He hurries into the kitchen with the phone to his ear.

 _“Come on, come on,”_ he mutters as he waits for Steve to pick up.

“Bucky?” Steve sounds worried, and that only adds to how low Bucky feels. 

“Steve! You gotta… he’s here and…”

“Breathe, honey, come on. In one two, out three four,” Steve coaxes Bucky to get his breathing under control again.

“This was a horrible idea, Steve! He was clearly disgusted by me, couldn’t even-- oh God…”

Suddenly Bucky realizes he never closed the door behind him, and he turns around to see the escort standing awkwardly one step into the living room. On the other end Bucky hears Steve call out for him, but he’s too mortified to even move anymore.

_What the hell is that man still doing here and what does Bucky have to do to get him out and why is the escort looking at Bucky like that?_

Footsteps in the hallway, and the escort narrowly steps aside in time to avoid Steve slamming into him when Steve rushes around the corner.

“Bucky!" Steve runs into the apartment. "Are you… _Tony_?”

It would have been comical, if Bucky wasn’t feeling so damn horrible. Steve does a double take as soon as he notices the escort, and _what the hell?_

“You know each other?” Bucky asks feebly, but Steve is stepping right into Tony’s space, who backs away, his eyes wide in surprise.

“Who the hell do you think you are, treating Bucky like that?!” Steve not quite yells, advancing on the escort until he’s backed against the wall.

“I’ll have you know Bucky is the most gorgeous, smart, kind, and talented man you’ll ever meet!”

The escort narrows his eyes at Steve. “Oh yeah, then why the hell are you cheating on him?” he counters angrily, drawing himself up to his full height. Which isn’t very much, especially next to Steve, but Bucky is kind of impressed he dares to stick up to Steve like that. Until his message clicks.

“Cheating?” Bucky asks, at the same time as Steve.

“I don’t know if this is some kind of weird cuckold roleplay, but I definitely didn’t get paid for this, so you better start explaining stat, or I’ll report you to the service.” Somehow the escort manages to look down his nose at Steve, and Steve backs away, looking at Bucky for back up.

“What?”

“Yeah, _what._ What the hell is going on?” The escort puts his hands on his hips, radiating displeased anger.

“Nothing?” Steve tries, but the escort looks even less impressed. 

“Last week I was requested to come here, and I found _Steve,_ ” the escort waves up and down at Steve. “This week I’m asked again, but now it’s Steve’s super hot boyfriend, who gets a panic attack as soon as he lays eyes on me. What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On.”

“Ohh,” Steve nods slowly, understanding dawning, and he walks over to where Bucky is still leaning against the kitchen counter.

Bucky's brain halts on _super hot boyfriend_ , and he feels extremely foolish. 

"We didn't mean to mislead you, I promise," Steve says in that sincere way of his, and Bucky reaches out to hold Steve's hand. 

"We kinda accidentally both booked the same… you?" Bucky says, feeling more and more ridiculous with the way he freaked out. 

The escort -- Bucky supposes he should call him Tony -- Tony's face goes through various expressions and finally settles on incredulity. 

"You _kinda accidentally both booked me?_ Without knowing this of each other, but you use the same credit card?" 

"Yes?" Steve smiles sheepishly now, and Tony huffs and shakes his head. 

"Whatever." Tony looks at his watch. "You still have 45 minutes left. Double the people is double the prize though."

He looks between Steve and Bucky expectantly, but Bucky shakes his head when Steve turns to him. He's had enough excitement for one day. 

"We don't want our money back," Steve hastens to say, turning back to Tony. "We're sorry about the inconvenience."

Tony shoots Steve a look Bucky recognizes all too well -- _is he for real?_ \-- but then shrugs. 

"Suit yourself. But if you change your mind about a new booking you know where to find me."

With a salacious wink which almost makes Bucky reconsider sending him away, Tony turns and leaves. 

"Well…" Steve starts, clearly struggling to find something to say. 

"Come on." Bucky kisses Steve's cheek, feeling both relieved and bereft in some way. "Let's watch a movie."

\-----

"That really was the same guy?" Bucky asks when they're cuddling in bed later that night. 

"Hmm." Steve is half asleep already by the sound of it, but his hand still idly scratches Bucky's scalp where he's resting his head on Steve's chest. Steve has the best chest to lie on. 

"The one who taught you that trick with your tongue…"

"Hmmhmm."

"Huh."

"He thought you were hot, too," Steve says, sentence ending around a yawn. 

" _He's_ kinda hot…"

"Hmmhmm."

Huh. 

\-----

"When there's multiple participants we advise you to book a double session, otherwise it's almost a waste…" 

"Can we… is three hours too long?"

"That sounds about right. Okay, so you've booked Tony Stark for Saturday the 16th at two p.m. for three hours. Anything else I can do for you?" 

"Nah, this is perfect."


End file.
